Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-26

Scenes In Gotham Life Photographed
BY Cummtmgs and Hall.

THE CITY HALL AND III AssocfAfsoNs-rHK HIDDEN
THINGS IN TIE BASEMENT WHERE ALDERMEN
USED TO FEAT-How A cIKvR WOMAN CANE 10
THE AID OF A suvvKRNo AuDuENcE
Special Correspondence Of THE EVENING STAR
NEW YORK, November ~
The City Hall OF New York Is being repaired. IL
needs IL. Its stone fioors worn With the tread
OF many feet sections Of the thing are gone. and
the place presents an appearance OF antiquity and
decay The stranger, on his first visit TO the me-
tropolfs, Is surprised TO discover what an unim-
posing, time-worn weather-oeaten City Hall the
greatest Of American cities contents itself with,
put 20 much OF historical interest clusters about
the Old place that any attempt 20 replace IL with
new structure Is frowned down. The ordinary
stranger visitor to the place never sees the real
OBJECTS OF interest. He goes up stairway, which
became so worn with the tread OF feet that Il was
necessary to reinforce the steps with IRON and en-
tiers the long governors room, whose walls are
covered with portraits OF past governors ana may
ors OF New York, and notable persons like Lafay-
cite. whom the artist has pictured as gentleman
In oaggy trousers and with cast OF countenance
far different from that which the average histori-
cal engravings give him large portrait OF
Clark, the cold-water governor, with fountain in
the background, llfe-sized picture OF Gen. DIX,
with his famous 'Shoot him ON the spot order In
hand, and scores or other paintings OF great men
i LOOK OF Ieproach rests en- their countenances
because the frames about their portraits have been
allowed allow, 70 go into decay and become covered with
uuSL The bust or Washington. high over the
entrance 70 the room, gazes down on the quaint
OLD desk AT which the Father OF HIS Country beld
painted n S OF ssss p,
one corner, but the artist did not paint the under
edges or the coattails. and the visitor discovers
from that negligence that the statue Is not what
1t seems. An apparatus for testing weights and
some copper receptacles for the accurate gaug1ng
OF measures add an appearance OF practical utility
70 the room, while punch-bowl from China pre-
sented to New York In 1872 suggests convivialty,
but bears on its broad surface an inscription
Of New
10 look down upon this punch-bowl with earnest
disapproyl. Quaint old furniture. sofas with high
perfect symphonies OF discomfort stand resoutely
about the room, and tell the visitor very plainly
That they have come down
FROM COLONIAL TINES.
Canvas coverings have been thrown over the
chairs and sofas to shield them from decay and
hide their faded crimson upholstery. An old
whlte-haired woman with pleasant face sits
sewing on one OF the ancient sofas and keeping an
eye on the visitors who wander in. sign their
names TO register. look about the room, and help
make the carpet more threadbare than ever She
Is the wife OF the former keeper Of the City Hall
Once upon time crank visited the governors
room, siashed some OF the portraits with a knife
and then went to the aldermanic chamber on the
same moor and knocked the nose OF OF the bust OF
great man. Thereafter guardian was posted
that junction. The stranger may wander into the
court-rooms on the second door, where
Msa Of eT cgses h are bearing ks the
peep into the stury little room al
the west end Of the second floor hail. where the
bly, 80 down on the first floor and read the official
bulletins that bristle on big board In disheveled
fashion and announce what the sheriff and the
law Is going TO do with certain estateS These
bulletins are never pulled down, but new ones are
tackled over them until the documents are several
strata deep. The stranger may see the alder.
manic chamber. which looks ancient and more at
tracuve than any other room In the house. ana be
shown the cherrycolored desks at which certain OF
little committee-rOom, f1anked with narrow re-
ceptacles for coats and hats where the boodlers
sat TO concoct their plans and some OF them to
play poker.
THE MYSTERIES OF TIE BASEMENT
But II you want TO see the Interesting parts of
the city hall you must 20 into those sections that
the newcomer never sees Down in the basement.
with It's massive walls and air OF gloom like a
Fauit, are barred cells where prisoners once lam
gu.shed when the city hall served as police head
quarters These cells are now coaI-bins or rscepta
ces for all sorts OF ancient debris, from base.
burners 70 legless chairs. There is one apartment
Win deep or1ck ovens and rusty cooking utensils
which used to be the tea-room where the alder
men took refreshments in the days when ali the
New fork aldermen got for his services was little
good cheer after the session. few doors 10 the
westward are the rooms where more sumpruous
IeastS were cooked and spread 1t was ftted up by
buL Tweed and his high-living friends. The range
On mc m were cooked their lavish feasts has
nus.eu. Ine orollers on which their choice meats
SetS ptepaIeu, hahg useless on the walls and the
Se DutGn oven, with It's rusty iron doors, where
alSh-saiareo artists In all good things baked for
1re ep Sa DOSES IS falling into decay.
Tue s.usooaru. which once groaned be-
nea.n Int weight OF costly wines, Is
,no roaro iT ts lor odcs and ends, and
tne Ioom Inere tweed, sweeney CO. had their
he n'ara a Willie .ne ieS s. important members or
sI Soaiu ac near W IN large apartment, is now
,ra,,. w, mtsh punaes Oh documents Not far away
Irom TINS historic scene or so much lavishness In
the Tweed days is little cell.like room, where
aays "a Sne week charitable old man dis
psnses ioo W Ine Po0r IRON private contributions
ana near II is another room where the employment
auu Ieuei bureau OF the q. A. X. hears the sad
stolies OF destitute veterans and gives them re-.
lieI. You see at one point the battered end OF
speaklng-tuDe that used TO lead up from the room
OF the chief OF police to the bell tower, and
through which the bellman in the tower used to
communicate Win the chief In tie basement
m THE c.n,,r
vo, ,aoro ,,,. -. ,,." uAAnni.
~. 80 'ue oo'noeI pace anu cnmo up 70 the
your ears as YOU ascend There AMI vou dnd tho,
The keeper OF the hall and his children liva nm